Settlers continuously trespass on private Palestinian land with police protection

Last night, a group of about two dozen Israeli settlers trespassed on private Palestinian land in al-Khalil (Hebron), protected by the Israeli police.

Firday evenening, a group of about two dozen settlers from the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba again came to private Palestinian land situated right opposite the entrance to the illegal settlement to pray.

In the past, settlers have built a synagogue on this land that was demolished in April this year, after an Israeli court ruled that they had no right to build on this land owned by a Palestinian family. Since the demolition, settlers have repeatedly attacked the Palestinian families living in this neighbourhood.

Now, the piece of land has been declared a closed military zone, denying the family access to their own land, even though an Israeli court ruled that the land belongs to them. As the land is a closed military zone, settlers are forbidden from entering, yet Israeli police forces were present and protective of Israeli settlers trespassing on the land.

International human rights observers documenting the illegal use of this land were accosted and threatened by the group of settlers as they left the area.

Settlers accost and threaten ISM observers as they leave the area where they were trespassing

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From the Archives

10 September 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Supporting Palestinian farmers in Beit Ummar, international activists joined the weekly Saturday activities–clearing the land for cultivation despite the harrassment of Israeli military and illegal settlers, which resulted in the injury of a Palestinian man and the arrest of a British national, Jude Wells.
At 9 AM the...